Bottle-washing machine.



' PATENTED JAN. 14, 1908 z SHEETS-SHEET 1 J. w. GREBR. Y BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27,1907.

' W/ TNE SSE S J. W. GREBR.

BOTTLE WASHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 8211.27, 1807. 2 HEETFSHEET 2.

JESSE WADEGREER, OF MOUNT PLEASANT, TEXAS.

BOTTLE-WASHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

Application filed April 27| 1907. Serial No. 370633.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J EssE WADE GREEE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mount Pleasant, in the county of Titus and State of Texas, have invented a new and 1mproved Bottle-Washing Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to bottle washing machines, my more articular object being to provide such a mac `ne containing a revoluble drum provided with bottle holders, the device containing various improvements hereinafter described and pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is av plan view of the machine showing the revoluble drum mounted within a vat, and means for turning this drum and for readily stopping the same; Fig. 2 is a section upon the line 2'-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, and showing a part of the gearing for turning the drum, and also showing the brake for stopping the drum; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow and showing the radially-dis osed bottle holders with which the revolub e drum is provided; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section showing how the bottles are held within the bottle holders; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing the spacing-block or strip used for compensating for the size of small bottles.

A vat is shown at 5, and is provided with a sink 6 having the form of a shallow tray and provided with a drain-pipe 7; this sink is used for temporarily supporting the bottles as the same are lifted into the machine and taken therefrom. Two drum-heads 8, 9, which are made of a double thickness of material are provided with flanged collars 1() which are attached to a revoluble shaft 11 of tubular form. A number of slats 12 are rigidly connected with mating slats 12, these members thus forming a number of substantially \lshaped troughs, and connecting the heads 8, 9, together. A slat 13 is connected by hinges 14 with each slat 12 and carries a pair of spring latches 15; each of these latches is provided with a tooth 16 secured thereto by a fastening 17 and is in turn secured upon the slat 15 by aid of screws 18. The arrangement is such that if the slat 13 be turned upon the hinges 14 the V-shaped trough member consisting of slats 12, 12a, is opened. When however, the spring latches 15 click into place, the slat 13 is parallel with the slats 12L and the three slats constitute an inclosure or casing which l designate as a lholder. Each holder is provided with a space 19 which fits the bottles 20. Each holder has slots 19a through which the liquid'may circulate and readily reach the bottles. A stub-shaft 21 is revolubly mounted in bearings 22, 23, supported upon a frame 24; this stub-shaft '21 carries a large pulley 25 engaged by a belt 26. rThe stub shaft 21 also carries loose and fixed pulleys 27, 28 and a belt 29 is so mounted as to engage these pulleys alternately. Power is communicated to pulley 25 by a belt 26. A pulley 30 is mounted uponpa stub shaft 31 Journaled upon the frame 24. A belt guide 32 is mounted upon a belt shifter 33 controllable by the aid of a lever 34, the latter being journaled in a bearing 35, By operating this lever by hand the belt shifter may be caused to transferl the belt 29 from one of the pulleys 27, 28 to the other as desired. The stub shaft 21 is of sufficient length to receive a hand crank 21a to be secured thereto by a set-screw 2lb. The purpose of this arrangement is to enable the device to be operated by hand instead of by power when desired, as it may sometimes happen that a bottler doing business upon a small scale, may iind that power is not readily accessible.

Mounted rigidly upon the stub shaft 31 is a pulley 36 and a belt 37 connects this pulley with a larger pulley 38 mounted rigidly upon the tubular shaft 11. For this purpose the pulley 38 is provided with a double spoke 38a having a kerf 38h, and through this spoke and kerf extend bolts 38C for tightening the spoke 38at relatively to the tubular shaft 11. lA brake-shoe is shown at 39 and is adapted to engage the revoluble rim of the drumhead8; this brake-shoe is mounted upon a bell crank lever 40 journal'ed in a bearing 41 and provided with a portion 42 extending obliquely downward (see Fig. `2). A footlever 43 is connected by a link 44 with the portion 42 in such manner that when the lever 43 is depressed the bell crank lever l41 is rocked, and a retractile spring 45 tends to raise the lever 43 into normal position. The foot-lever 43 is provided with a treadle-plate 46 and extends through a guide 47.

When the bottles are of small size I use a. spacing-block 48 (see Fig. 3) in order to prevent lost motion of the bottles within the holders. When the spacing-block or strip is employed the bottles 49 may be comparatively smaller than the bottles 20.

My invention is used as follows: The operator loosens the several spring latches .of the respective bottle holders and throws back the slats 13 which, as above explained, are journaled upon hinges 14 he next places the bottles within the holders and closes the slats 13, or in other words, causes the spring latches to click into place, thus securingthe bottles. The drum being revolved, he fills and closes first one bottle holder and then another in succession until he arrives at the starting point, or in other words, finishes charging the drum to its limit. When the bottles are of small size the operator inserts the spacing-block or strip 48 in each holder and preferably secures it temporarily in position, by nailing or tacking. This however, is not essential. The bottles 49 of smaller size are now inserted as indicated at the lower left-hand corner of Fig. 3. All of the holders (or as many of them as desired) being filled with bottles, the operator turns on the power by manipulating the lever 34 so as to shift the belt 29. This causes the drum toturn. The, force of the power transmitted is as follows: belt 26, pulley 25, stub-shaft 21, fixed pulley 27, belt 29, pulley 30, stubshaft 31, pulley 36, belt 37, pulley 38, tubular shaft l1, to revolve the drum. The vat contains water which may be heated in any desired manner. The rotation of the drum causes the Water to pass in and out through the slots 19cpt (see Fig. 1)- so as to thoroughly wash the bottles and remove any labels adhering thereto. The gentle rocking motion given to the bottles as they pass.

around may facilitate this step. The operator next throws off the power by removing the belt 29 lto the loose pulley 28, and at the same time applies the brake by depressing the treadle-plate 46 with his foot. This stops the machine.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent z` vl. The combination of a'vat for holding a cleansing liquid, a revoluble drum extending into said vat and provided with troughs extending longitudinally of said drum, and parallel with the axis thereof, each of said troughs being rovided with a lid hinged thereto, means 'or securing said lid relatively to said troughs, and a spacing member adapted to engage a bottle within said troughs, and also adapted to engage a portion of said troughs for the purpose of compensating for differences inthe sizes of the bottles as compared with the sizes of said troughs.

2. The combination of a rpair of revoluble heads, a plurality of slats connected together so as to form a trough of substantially V-shape in cross section, a lid hinged upon said trough and adapted to swing relatively thereto, a spring latch mounted upon said -lid and adapted to engage a portion of said trough for the purpose of holding said lid securely thereon, and a spacing member mounted within said trough and adapted to press a bottle upon the said spring latch, and means for turning said revoluble heads.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JESSE WADE GREER.

I/Vitnesses:

A. L. BURFORD, E. V. BRoADsTREET, 

